We had an event a week ago Sunday, and Big Bore catered for 700+ people at a combined service for…read moreour church, The Grove. This is the fifth year we've had Big Bore cater this event, and every year it is a huge hit! We had pulled pork and pulled chicken, buns, mac and cheese, and baked beans, and then supplemented with salads and desserts. The food is fantastic and is perfect for a large gathering like ours. Feeding more than 700 people is no small task, but everything arrives hot, ready to serve, and tastes great. They make the entire process incredibly easy. Their team is wonderful to work with, the food is brought in hot storage containers ready to go, and we even had enough leftovers to share afterward. Every year more people come, and Big Bore continues to knock it out of the park. Stevie and her team are top-notch! We couldn't recommend them more highly for a large event.

Ok I love BBQ one of the draws and something we're looking forward to when we move to Texas next…read moreyear. I've heard of this place for years and just never made it over until randomly it was recommended again. I made it and I'm so glad I did it's the best bbq I've had in Minnesota. Does it beat Texas? No but it's up there and could hold up. Our waitress was awesome and a country music fan who I hope has a good birthday in Nashville where I will be singing in January yeah I sing country. She was awesome and helpful as we ordered enough four for a couple days which I highly recommend. The hostess was also sweet friendly and fun to chat with. It looks like a bbq spot barn like with outdoor smokers and an awesome indoor and outdoor seating plus a busy bar.

Enjoyed dinner outside on the patio and had the ribs. Server was very kind even though she was…read morequite busy. Good portion for the price but ribs were dry and I wasn't a big fan of the bbq sauce that came with it. . So many flies around the food that it ruined the experience.

Stopped in for a late lunch. Parking was a bit of a problem with the street torn up, but the…read moreoutdoor patio was pleasant, the service friendly, and the portions generous. We started with the Brussels sprouts, but abandoned them mid way through. Way too heavily salted for our taste. But the wings were beautifully smoked and had a nice rub, and the brisket grilled cheese was great. I asked for and received the fatty end, and it was also well smoked-- one of the five best servings that I've had in more than two dozen Minnesota 'cue joints. We upgraded to the mac 'n cheese as the side with the sandwich-- rich and creamy white cheese, but a little bland. A little pepper did the trick. All in all, then, a good stop. We'll be back.

The staff was fantastic and very welcoming. I was very impressed with the selection of meats. I…read moretried the pulled pork, brisket and kielbasa, and all of them were perfect. The brisket especially was very delicious. We got a chance to have a conversation with the owner and you can tell that they are very hard working and passionate about their restaurant. I absolutely WILL be coming back again.

BEWARE: We went to grab dinner at Up in Smoke and waited almost an hour for what ended up being…read moreincredibly disappointing food that we threw away. We ordered 2 pounds of brisket at nearly $60 in just brisket. When we got home and opened it, the meat was gray, tasted off, very old and was covered in coarse black pepper. It was so excessive that it completely overpowered the flavor. I was ticked. I took pictures of exactly what we received and ultimately threw it away. We also ordered the $12 Brussels sprouts. The container was tiny (see photo) with a very small portion, and the sprouts were extremely mushy--definitely not deep fried. I emailed Up in Smoke about our experience and included pictures of the brisket, but received no response. $100+ for dinner, an almost hour-long wait, listening to the employee complain endlessly about staffing issues and being so busy. Most of it ended up being food we were scared to eat. Extremely disappointing experience. Buyer beware. OWNER STILL HAS NOT RESPONDED!!! (2WEEKS LATER)

LOVED my pulled pork sandwich and Jimmy beans! It was so fun to try each of the different…read moreflavorful BBQ sauces; my fav was Southern Gal. Super casual with cafeteria style ordering. It was quick and perfect for a quick lunch hour.

Just went for the first time last night! Was originally going to Texas Roadhouse, but they were…read morequeuing for over an hour for 2 people, so I decided to try something new. I saw people talking about the brisket and ribs so I knew what I wanted to try walking in. When we got up to the register, they were SOLD OUT of brisket and ribs. When we were told that, the people behind us just turned around and left. However, the lady taking our order was super nice about it and suggested some other items for us to try. In its place, we ordered the brisket burnt ends and pulled pork. I also got the creamy cole slaw, Mac and cheese, and fries. All the sides were SO good. Our actual food was good as well. The pulled pork comes out with no sauce so you can put however much you personally like. The burnt ends did have sauce, and it's on the sweeter side, so it would pair well with the friends or Mac and cheese. I'd definitely come back to try the brisket and ribs, but for now, I'd have to ding off a star for being out of their most popular items by 6PM.

Gonna have to downgrade from my previous 5-star review. We had been to Smokey's numerous times over…read morethe past several years and have always been impressed. Not this time. We stopped in with family recently and the food was just so-so. I and another member of our party ordered the beef brisket. The meat was dry as a popcorn fart. Was it left over from the previous day and re-heated? All I know is that Texas brisket should be moist and melt-in-your-mouth. This was like shoe leather. I had to slather it with BBQ sauce to make it palatable. I could only choke down about a third of it, and I gave up. The only redeeming value was the service was good that day, and they still have a decent beer selection. Smokey's, you be slidin'.

We had a really nice dinner there. My wife had the pulled pork Mac and cheese and u had a pulled…read morepork Cuban. They have a huge smoker out front and you can tell it gets good use as the meat has a nice smoke to it. They also have a huge outdoor area where we could take our dog, so that was nice. This was an unexpected good stop after a day of travel.

Food and drinks were fantastic, Cubano, Mac and beans for me. Chicken, steak and brisket sammich…read morealso top tier

We were craving bbq and I've been seeing posts on Instagram about this restaurant, so we had to…read morecheck it out. Thirty minutes outside of the metro, it's the only restaurant on the highway, you cant miss it. They have a nice covered patio and uncovered area. The restaurant is pretty inside, giving me the rustic and modern barnominium feels. We ordered big portions to share like family style.

A lil family owned bbq joint kind of off the beaten path but came through in the clutch (in the…read moremoment). We had gone to go chase waterfalls as the snow was melting and were craving bbq so we found this place in the area with decent reviews and decided to check it out. Underwhelming is the main word that comes to mind. Honestly, the ribs and rib tips were really greasy and it came out extremely fast. The rib tips weren't even that hot. And they were fried to a crisp.. not super edible. They were ok but not great. The ribs were decent, good flavor, not a ton of smoke and like I said, greasy. The smoked mac and cheese was disgusting. It tasted like it was days old (or at least the cheese was) and there wasn't any smoke flavor. The baked beans were ok but tasted like from a can. For it being a $82 order i just feel like it should have been way better. Front desk cashier was friendly enough but not super helpful. Wouldn't come back here but it served the purpose in the moment.

I'm always looking for good BBQ. We went early at 4 pm because they are only open until 7 or when…read morethe meat runs out. The meal was mixed but mostly meh. First the good. The dining room and the bathrooms were very clean and nicely decorated. The 3 ribs I had in my two meat combo were very good, meaty and tender. My smoked Mac and cheese side and my wife's cheesy mashed potatoes were ok. Now the not so good. The server couldn't crack a smile and clearly didn't want to be there. The brisket was tender but had little flavor; no bark or even smoke ring. My wife had the 2 meat combo with 1/4 chicken which was dry, and pulled pork that tasted overcooked and flavorless. The cornbread was also dry and crumbly. If we had only had the ribs, we probably would have given 4 stars. As it was I can't really recommend.

With the permanent closure of Vic's Rib Cage in Monticello, Scotty's becomes our top choice among…read morethe 17 BBQ joints that we have visited in the Gopher State. We strongly recommend that you go early lest you run the risk of finding your favorite meat or side already sold out! $88.45 purchased a full rack of ribs (membrane on), 1/2 lb. each of brisket (fatty end) and pulled pork, sides of coleslaw and mac 'n cheese, and 3 orders of hush puppies. The brisket is solid, with pronounced bark and a salt/pepper based flavor profile that is classic central Texas. The lightly seasoned ribs, which also call central Texas to mind, separated cleanly at the bite, and may be eaten by themselves or with a dollop of the house mustard sauce. The latter is one of 3 sauces that are straight out of the Carolinas, the others being Lexington and East Carolina. All 3 are excellent, but the mustard sauce rivals the best of South Carolina. We recommend that you use the pulled pork, which is fine on its own, as a platform to sample all 3 sauces. The 3 sides were also top-notch. The coleslaw is a clean, fresh bite that works well to cleanse the palate as you move from one meat to the next. The mac 'n cheese is excellent, and we became addicted to the hush puppies, which we would rate far and away the best in the state. We look forward to the whole hog and house made banana pudding on our next visit. Because service is vulnerable to bad weather, always check their facebook page before setting out to make sure that they will be opening.

Scotty's is just off the beaten path. A small business that cooks until the all the meat is gone…read more So get there early!! We ordered the Brisket, with mac and cheese, coleslaw, hush puppies, banana pudding, chocolate brownie, and last strawberry lemonade. One with alcohol and one without. We loved it and I know you will too.

Holy wow - I just ambled over to the food truck for the first time a couple minutes ago and got the…read morebrisket sandwich and it was absolutely off the hook. The brisket was done perfectly from the trim to the smoke to the sauce and season. What a gem!

Mr. Cherry does amazing bbq. Although initially skeptical, we have to admit it was one of the best…read morebbq ever. He was smoking brisket when we pulled up to his food truck. With a big welcoming smile we joked that we were looking for his restaurant that maps led us to. At this point it's only a food truck, although he has hopes for reopening sometime. He was smoking brisket for the New Ulm brewery that day, but he gave us a sample anyway. Oh goodness, Mr. Cherry knows what he's doing. If you get a chance to catch him, don't miss the opportunity. And if anyone in the area could help underwrite his efforts to opening his restaurant again I hope they will take a chance on him!

Myself and two friends enjoyed us some Smokestack Express today, and I have to say we were…read moreimpressed. I stopped in and picked up lunch for all of us, and everything was perfect. The brisket sandwich, ribs, chicken sandwich, mac and cheese, and baked beans were all perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. What really stood out, though, was the customer service. Justine helped me over the phone while I was trying to figure out lunch plans. I was actually headed to another restaurant when I found out halfway there that they were closed on Mondays. I had to switch gears quickly, and that's when I found Smokestack Express. Justine was extremely helpful, friendly, and patient. She made the ordering process easy and was genuinely pleasant to talk to. The food would have been enough to bring me back, but her attitude and professionalism made the experience even better. I can see why this business is successful. Great food combined with great people is a winning combination. Thanks, Smokestack Express, for saving my butt today. You've definitely gained a new customer.

Overall, good flavors but felt it was more on the dry side. Price point and quantity is a good…read moreprice point. Will back back again.